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Dictionaraoke - Fair-Use meets Karaoke

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the amuse-yourself-to-death dept.

stu42j writes "NPR's On the Media today interview's David Dixon from Dictionaraoke.com where 'A group of fair-use artists have created songs using the spoken pronunciation guides of words in online dictionaries. The result is an entertaining blend of computerized music and monotone singing.'"

5 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds... um ugly by Penguinoflight · · Score: 1, Interesting

    My opinion is this wouldn't sound very good. Computerized music doesn't sound good unless it's done well, and monotone singing can get quite boring. But don't send any money to the RIAA! :-)

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
    1 John 4:14
  2. Next Step...DDR!!! by cybrpnk2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The next logical step is to incorporate this into the hot new video game DDR (Dance Dance Revolution)...

  3. 386 DX - a rock band like no other by neuroscroll · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It's a "group" with only one performer: a 386 40Mhz PC with some MIDI and sound synth software.
    After years of begging and pushing by his fans Shulgin decided to approach Staalplaat music publishers when he was in Berlin to give a concert early this year. Recorded in London like every resectable music CD, this CD is not just another collection of music on another silver disc though: you can boot your computer from it and have your own 386 DX. Ready for performance, ready to create both sound and vision in early computer aesthetics. The CD contains an illegal copy of an early version of Windows (3.1)and you can run your computer with it. But most importantly the CD contains cyberpunkband 386 DX's most popular tunes: pop songs from the last thirty years played and sung by a computer.
    [http://www.easylife.org/386dx/txt/bosma.htm]
    Official URL is http://www.easylife.org/386dx/

    Enjoy!

  4. Re:Aside from sounding ghastly, it's a political g by devnullkac · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually, there are two copyrighted elements which need to be considered. The original sheet music which lists the notes that make up the song will have a copyright and separate performance right, which is probably violated by making a MIDI file and distributing it without consent ("reverse engineering" them from another performance won't exempt you). The original lyrics are also copyrighted and can't be reproduced for wide distribution (even as a vocal transformation) without consent.

    www.lyrics.ch ran into this problem a few years back. They were shut down for a year or more as they sought permission from the various copyright holders and repackaged the lyrics in a "secure" format.

    I don't think the legal issues are really all that jumbled. It's just a question of whether a parody of this form qualifies as a "fair use".

    --
    What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!
  5. Deus ex machina by Pornosonic · · Score: 2, Interesting
    This is so bad it's not even laughable.

    There is much better music that includes computer synth. When done right, it has a strange, compelling quality not unlike the opposite feeling of dehumanization. (Sorry, it's hard to describe.) "Deus ex machina" is the term I use for plastic that sounds vibrant.

    Here we go, in order of how urgent it is that you hear it (fire your respective music stealing software up NOW!):

    • Kid 606 - Catstep/My Kitten/Catnap Vatstep DSP Remix By Hrvatski (Search for "hrvatski catstep". Awesome drill n' bass fireworks sequence with a bouncy ragga synthetic MC who says "fey!" in a really high-pitched voice every verse. "we talking Cubase V S T, with the hyperprism mods / make the kids go crazy you can see it in their nods" Must be heard to be believed.)
    • El-P - Stepfather Factory (Off the new Definitive Jux compilation, this moving, conscientious, challenging rap about "stepfather factory", "so you purchase a paternal unit Class A Type 1 / the new addition to your living room space, watch it go ... in an effort to find an energy source our company's learned, the cheapest way to keep his battery running is with booze, plug it, give it a name, 'man of the house', ..." ends with the machine finally getting to speaking. I won't ruin it for you, it's chilling.)
    • Cylob - Sex Machine (Demented, dark sex machine monologue/rap. "I have no emotions, I am just a machine / But I'm the hot - test lover there's ever been")
    • Anything by MC Hawking (Stephen Hawking's hip-hop side project)
    Support independent music!